As we move towards a future where digital interfaces, artificial intelligence, and augmented reality begin to infiltrate our architectural world, architects would be wise to study the communicative values of what they design. User Interface (UI*) design methodologies, culled from various approaches to digital media design, may offer architects insight about how to create designs that communicate directly with occupants. By utilizing geometric configurations that elicit specific feelings and actions from occupants, architects can harness the cognitive processing of users in a similar manner as achieved in sophisticated UI designs.

What inspires us when we see art? What makes something visually appealing? How does a viewer perceive an object’s significance? I’ve been trying to discover the components of how we view art, and how that translates into how we feel about architecture. With mounting client pressures and professional standards that focus architectural designs on pragmatic issues – such as program, building codes, the environment, circulation, economic values – how does an architect defend the need for beauty and pleasure, and is that an important defense?

Perhaps the word “controversial” is an understatement to describe LACMA’s reconstruction plans over the next decade. The museum Director, Michael Govan, has planned to demolish most of the museum to make way for a new building designed by renowned Swiss architect Peter Zumthor.Read More

I highly anticipated my visit to The Broad on September 30, and the experience did not disappoint. The strategies employed by the Architects – Diller Scofidio and Renfro – to create the form of the building parallels my own research into architectural form making. Their literal interpretation of the programmatic requirements into a clear diagram pairs beautifully with an exceptional attention to detail. I may not agree with all of the final results, but the building communicates effectively to a visitor and provides an exceptional space for contemporary art.Read More